New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-25

In the press room. and the accounts OF sales OF
papers delivered 10 the carriers were kept on loose
pieces Of paper and when the papers were paid 1or
the money was put into the pocket OF the delivery
clerk. who once week made returns withonC
vouchers " checks without finding fault pro-
ceedcd 20 organize this department and nv move
ments rs they gradually developed system DIV
whiC n every paper that was printed had 10 DC ac-
CO ,ntcd for were denounced not only offensive
out impraciicablc. Mr.. Greeley was appealed TO
hut refused 70 interfere. and in very short time
everything in this department worked smoothly
ard satisfactorily.
At this time the penny papers" as they were
called. were not generally taken into the families
Of the better class OF the citizens. lle large
dailics were considered more mspcctabir. BON
The Sun and The Herald" had acquired celeb
rity for enterprise and early news The former
was extensively circulated among the CLASS OF peo-
Die from whom IL received the largest share OF us
advertising patronage. the latter was read dow
town" by business men and clerks: but neither OF
them very often penetrated into the Wtrl"ls OF
sitting rooms OF the uptown residents IL "ccnrrc"
T. me that there was an opening for TIE Tribune.
il >trnck me that, however important the patron
age Of a political partr, circulation in the cult
waited and influential families of the city was quite
as important TO accomplish this end directed
my most serious attention.
HE TRIBrNE started. assumed to have
started. on a heh plane in morals ~ well rs III
politics In every respect II WIS rs hlgh-ton'h ~
"Thc Courier and Enquirer" edited by 'olohcl
Webb or The Commercial Advertiser edited by
Colonel stone and in some respects considered II
above either | therefore felt no hesitation IN
pushing il into houses VIII r. only those large sheets
had heretofore gained admittancc. | inserted as
advertisements but without orders and without
4 .iifrfosf or
family newspapers. or elsewhere. of lectures. ser
mons. public meetings. etc Also made out lists
Of names and residences in the different wards of
the city, and ordered the papers to De delivered by
the carriers at those hOus If regularly sub
scrihcd for. Al the same time | gave general IN
structons TO the carriers that if any one refused To
paw for the paper when called upon IT the end OF
the week or month. to make no rcmonsirance. but
in all cases to let me know when they stopped de
ivering the paper and Iwoud fund TO the carriers
the money they had paid at the counter for such
papers. In this way our circulation IN the course
of few months was sclisbv increased. In
some eases where the paper was left fer II few days
the carriers were pcrcmptorly told to leave it 10
longer and when they called for their pay it not
unfrcqucntly happened that they received abuse.
and the paper was denounced as vile. and vision
airy Fourierite organ. Stll. upon the whole. the
experiment was successful. think fully one half.
perhaps a majority of those so served paid the
carriers when called upon. continued the paper,
and soon became its steadfaSt friends.
While discussing the partnership proposition ]
had referred 10 the articles on FouricriSm which
appearing in The lRIKUNr. Mr. Greeley
informed me that he had promised to dcv otc Ger
tain portion Of the paper to the publication ~
articles on that subject. which were to h. fun shed
by Mr.. Albert Brisbane who had engaged to pay
IL.
appear, but no payment on account of their pub
location ever made 10 the paper. They were
exceedingly d.stastcful to NJ. well rs - Mr.
Raymond and whenever Mr.. Greeley absent
from the city we invariably arranged 10 have the
articles crowded out
On Monday morning following the announce
ment Of the coparincrship n delegation from the
Young Mems Wing Committee. headed by Or
William Turner and Or i, namin VI. Drake. prcs-
dent and secretary Of the committee. came - the
Office in Ann-St. and informed me that they wished
TO have their names entered on the subscription
books and 10 be regularly served with IHr
tribune handing me AT the same time n long list
OF names of ~ rsons whom they also wished served
with the paper. ! was Informed by these gentle
men that thcY had heretofore withheld their pat
ronagc on account Of Mr. GTcclcy's oppos ton 20
Mr. Clay nj the Ilarr i>bIrg Convention IN 1870
They added that. knowing my attachment % Mr.
Clay, they, on the announcement of nv name IN
connection with the paper. at once resolved To an
in its circulation. Mr. Grcclcy saw tho names on
the Suhscr ptIon books the next day bat made 10
remark concerning them nor did alludr 10 what
passed between myself and the delegation.
Jftcrward informed that. on one occasion lac
said that th" opposition to NE IiIBvNE 10y MIR
Clay's friends IN New York ceased when | became
connected with it. The paper from that time was
hon Lac ola
and importance every day for the next three year.
1t j. but Justice 10 Mr. Grcclc, - say that during
all the period Of oar connect On Mr. Clay had no
more sincere admircr nor more ardent supporter
than Mr.. Greeley. | think that he. Governor
Seward and Ia rlow Weed were gnrdrd b. III ny
Of Mr. Clay friends as having aided IN the defeat
Of Mr.. Clay AT that convention. | never doubted
the attachment Of either Of these gentlemen 70 Mr.
Clay. II they opposed his nomination al Harris
burg it was undoubtedly from conviction that he
could not bc elected. In this opinion | Away
thought they were mistalcn.
Soon after my come tion with IHT TrrrCNE |
looked about for more eligible quarters than we
were occupying in Ann-,t. The corner Of Spruce
and Nassau SIS wa, at that time occupied by The
sun Office Alr Moses Y Beach havine - lease cu
Ia. premises with about ten or twelve year, . run.
The site occupied by The Sum was part Of =
property on that block belonging % an estate for
partition Of which "A suit WIS then nd.ng IN the
courts. ! purchased, b. ia" old OF my fathcr-in-
law, the whole property nj the sale and as Mr.
Beach refused 10 dispose Of his lease had a build
ing erected, facing Spruce and Nassau SIS.
around " The sun office, which The 1HiBr NJ
occupied until it was burned down in 1875. The
falling walls in that fire demolished "Th" Sun
office and Mr.. Beach then wlling b sci u, the
uncXprcd term Of his lease. new building five
stories high was Immediately erected covering the
entire premises my fatherin-law furnishing the
money and charging MS only minal rent and
from the date of my purchase Of the land to the
time | ceased connection with the paper The
Tribune was free Of rent THOMAS MCELHATH.
Nor York, December "a, 1881